Never Say Never
by galaxyeyes-nijikuriboh
Summary: Future!Sharkbaitshipping fic. Yuma and Shark are now a married couple. Like most, they want to start a family of their own. Unfortunately, their search for a surrogate mother isn't as great as the coupe had expected. Just when things start to take a bad turn, Yuma and Shark get more than they bargained for. Rated T for minor sexual references.
1. Chapter 1

**To my Readers:**

**I am a supporter of gay marriage. While in this story I portray Yuma and Shark as a married gay couple, I wish to advise you that the story will have some content that is not okay to say to other people ((Ex: Hate slurs)). I do not wish to offend you if you choose to read this Sharkbaitshipping story.  
With regards,  
-bravebirdblaziken**

**UPDATE 1-27-14: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REDONE A LITTLE. I ONLY CHANGED SOME DIOLOUGE AND ADDED A LITTLE MORE PARTS. **

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_Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self.  
-Viktor E. Frankl_

Yuma fidgeted his fingers nervously on his lap, just staring directly at the wooden floor. He wasn't usually anxious most of the time and was often described as quirky, hyper, and quite ecstatic when it came to Dueling. Tapping his feet wasn't helping to ease his anxiety because it just made more noise his partner could not stand. Having enough of the noise, he finally spoke up to end the commotion.

"Can you stop tapping your feet? It's starting to annoy me. You know I don't like it when you repeatedly tap things over and over again," said Ryoga, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Oh, and just how am I supposed to stop being nervous about tonight? It's not like every dinner we've had with the relatives!" pouted Yuma.

"This is your family, our friends, and my sister we're talking about. Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Because everyone's coming over for dinner and I don't know how we're going to explain our announcement! How am I supposed to say it at the right time?" Yuma lowered his head into his hands, showing signs of frustration.

Ryoga wondered how his partner could be so thick-headed during some situations. He recalled that Yuma had a bad habit of forgetting things after he heard the story of him losing his Heart Piece before the World Duel Carnival finals. Then again, the younger man had always been like this.

"Look, trust me on this. Everything will be fine! All you need to do is not sputter anything until desert. The last thing we need is you revealing our announcement beforehand. Think you can do that?" said Ryoga, placing a hand onto Yuma's shoulder. He then caressed his partner's shoulders by gently massaging them. Yuma reacted by letting his body relax on the sofa. His head laid against Ryoga's chest, feeling some warmth being emitted.

Now that Yuma didn't feel so stressed, he moved his hands away from his face and sat upright into the sofa cushions. A sigh escaped. "What would I do without you, Shark? You're always here for me and haven't gotten up and abandoned me. Where would you be?"

"You're mine and I'm yours. I don't think I'll be leaving you anytime soon." Taking Yuma's hand into his own, Ryoga traced his index finger around Yuma's gold wedding ring he had given him. It felt smooth, but he felt a few scratches on the surface most likely from Direct Attacks during Duels. Looking at the ring made Ryoga think about their wedding. Like the ceremony, being married to the man he loved was one of the best moments of his life. Where else would their relationship take them?

* * *

Dinner went along with no issues at all. For once, Yuma actually managed to keep his cool about not blurting anything (Ryoga was relived at this). The couple had invited Yuma's family (including his parents, which reunited after the Barian Onslaught), Rio, and the Numbers Club, but they all politely declined. So, it was just the close family who was going to be the first to hear the "big announcement".

After everyone had finished eating their dinner and started to eat their dessert, Yuma and Ryoga agreed beforehand that it was time to make their debut. Ryoga raised a spoon with his hand and and gently tapped the glass to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone? Can I have your attention?" Ryoga requested.

All eyes turned towards the couple at the end of the table. Everyone quickly stopped talking to each other and immediately hushed because they sensed something important was about to happen. Now that all attention was focused on Yuma and Ryoga, both men looked directly at each other, nodding their heads.

_It's time Yuma. This is it. There's no turning back._

_Shark, I can't believe what we're about to tell everyone... I'm so glad I'm doing it with you._

Taking a huge breath, Yuma rose out of his chair, staring at his relatives, then towards Ryoga. The purple haired man flashed a little smile and nodded his head in approval to speak.

"Mom, Dad, Akari, Grandma, and Rio," he acknowledged. "Shark and I are really thankful you could make it tonight," said Yuma, a hint of pride in his voice. "You and the Numbers Club have always been here for us. You didn't judge us because we weren't with a girl, never tried to separate us, and always stood by our side. I used to be so worried neither of you would approve of our relationship because we were dating each other. I admit I wish our friends could be here, but I am glad you are all here, because the two of us have something to say to all of you." He gently nudged Ryoga in the side, which Ryoga saw as a gesture for him to go.

Before Ryoga even got started, he held his hand around Yuma, since this was their moment, together. "What Yuma is trying to say is that we both decided together that we want to have children of our own," he announced.

After that was said, the room was silent. No one made a single sound or said anything. All Ryoga and Yuma saw were stares directed at them. The silence was starting to make Yuma feel tense. He didn't like it if no one said anything because to him, that meant something was wrong. The man closed his eyes in fear of rejectement, but instead, he heard applauding.

Yuma opened his eyes to see not looks of hate, but filled with true love. He could tell everyone's expressions were sincere because they were far different than the others who had prejudiced against him and Ryoga. More so, his and Ryoga's family were applauding in a congratulatory manner. Yuma saw warm smiles on everyone's faces, just like the ones when Ryoga proposed to him.

_Why did I even doubt my own family? I thought they would think I was crazy if Shark and I were going to be parents! I guess I was wrong about that, he thought._

"Oy, Yuma!" said Kazuma enthusiastically, wrapping his son into his arms.

Yuma was caught by surprise. "H-hey!" he chuckled.

The older man patted Yuma's head. "I'm proud of you and Ryoga on becoming a father! Kattobingu brought you all the way here to parenthood."

Mirai started to get a bit teary-eyed. She and her husband had missed five years of their son's life, but there was no way neither one of them were going to miss out on their son raising a family of his own! "My little boy is growing up... I'm so proud of you. You and Ryoga are so blessed," she said softly, trying so hard not to cry.

"Mom, Dad... I don't really know what to say. Do you really believe in Shark and I? Would we be good parents?" asked Yuma. "Be honest."

Mirai set her son's hands over her own. "If there's one thing your dad and I learned from raising you and Akari, it's that being a parent is one of the greatest parts of life. Look at how you and your sister have matured! But now, we get to be grandparents. That's the best thing you could ever give to us."

"Yuma?" said a younger female voice.

He looked over his shoulder thinking Akari was calling him, but Rio was there instead. She had a pleasant look and her hands appeared to be clenched behind her back. She casually leaned back and forth on her feet as if she expected Yuma to say something.

"Oh, Rio! I'm really glad you could make it tonight, because you know... It's special to me and Shark. I uh..." Yuma trailed off a bit, tapping his fingers. "About our decision... It was a little difficult to convince Shark he would be a good dad because he's had some conflicts about his and your past. I want you to tell me the truth: Do you truly believe Shark is going to be a good father?"

"Yuma, Ryoga and I stopped affiliating with Barian World long ago and Nasch and Merag are no more. We stopped hanging onto our past and I helped Ryoga not think too much about everything we had done. I know he had some misgivings because of me, but that doesn't make him a delinquent. So yes, I truly believe that you and Ryoga will be splendid parents."

"Thank you. I wasn't sure how to get this across to you without setting you off about your past."

"What's in the past can't be rewritten," stated Rio seriously. "We moved on from our Barian lives and haven't thought about it since then. It's for the best that we never turn back to Nasch and Merag." She dropped the seriousness and her tone became friendlier. "Thanks for thinking about us. It's nice to know that I was here to witness you guys deciding you want to raise a family."

Yuma smiled. "I just know that you'll be a wonderful aunt to our children, Aunt Rio."

RING! RING! Rio perked up realizing it was her D-Gazer. "Oh, I'm sorry Yuma, will you excuse me? I gotta take this call," she said apologetically.

"Go ahead, I've been wanting to get a drink."

Rio silently bowed in respect before she walked out of the room to take her call. After she left, Yuma wandered back towards a wine table in the living room. He pulled out a bottle of Saki Wine and poured the drink into a glass. Once he was finished pouring, he picked up the cup and proceeded to talk with his family, only to be tapped in the back.  
Yuma turned to see his grandmother standing behind him, smiling with pleasure.

"Yuma, I have a question to ask you!" said Haru.

"What's that, Grandma?" Yuma replied, sipping his wine.

A snickering look formed on Haru's face similar to the one in the episode when Mizeal first appeared in Zexal II)). "Does this mean I'll finally be able to have great-grandchildren?" she said loudly, everyone heard.

The Tsukumos (including Shark) eyed the little old woman with a puzzled look that screamed, 'What kind of question is that?'

Yuma spat out his drink, his face turning red in embarrassment. "Grandma!"

Haru shrugged as if nothing was wrong with her statement. "What? You and Ryoga promised me they'd give me at least two grandchildren!"

Yuma slapped his hand to his head in embarrassment. Sometimes, Haru could be so forgetful about things due to her old age. He couldn't blame her for her forgetful.

"So, are you two thinking of adoption?" Haru said, changing the subject.

Yuma shook his head. "No, that's not really wasn't what Shark and I had in mind. We were thinking more along the terms of having our child biologically related to us. In other words, we're are looking into finding a surrogate mother to have the baby for us."

Unknown to Haru and Yuma, Rio was stuck around the corner listening to every word between the two. She too was curious how Yuma and her brother were to go on with the surrogacy process. She didn't want to give herself away, so she hushed herself and proceeded to listen like a fly on the wall.

"Oh, you are?" she heard an older voice, which she assumed was Haru. "Have you found someone yet?"

"We've been talking to a consultant at an infertility clinic and she's been interviewing surrogates. But, our consultant has told us that most of the women she's interviewed aren't interested in us because they don't want to have a baby for gays."

"I'm sorry about that, Yuma. I don't know why those women have to be so intolerant of you just because you and Shark's relationship."

"Grandma, thank you, but you don't need to be. Kattobingu will find a way to make this possible for me and Shark."

Just listening to Yuma talk about how much those other women wouldn't be a surrogate for him and Ryoga pissed off Rio and broke her heart at the same time. Sure they'd do it for a straight couple, but to reject her brother and his partner like that crossed the line for her. Her heart became heavy with grief just thinking about the men being rejected in person with slurs thrown at them. Now, Rio was stuck in a dilemma of her own in her conflicting thoughts.

_I can't just be idle by while Ryoga and Yuma are looking for someone to help them become parents. All my life, Ryoga's done so much for me. He doesn't need to protect me anymore for me to do something to help them. But, what could someone like me do? Don't worry Ryoga. I'll help you find a way out of this mess!_

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_**Well, this is just the start, so you can look forward to so much more coming up for Yuma and Shark on their journey to start a family of their own! If you have any story ideas or wish to leave a review, please do so or PM me about it. **_

_**-Keep Dueling! **_

_**-brave bird **_


	2. Chapter 2 -Redone-

**here we go people! Chapter 2 away! Before I continue, there is a poll on my page relevant for the story. You have plenty of time to vote, but I'll be closing it in TWO weeks! But, no pressure at all! Second, I'd like to thank you for your reviews, especially comicfan209! Thank you so much for your critique! :) Third, I did upload a second chapter, but I had some misgivings and comicfan209 caught some mistakes, so I took it down and redid this. To let you know, this chapter is a bit short, but I assure you, I'm working as fast as I can to get chapter 3 done. In fact, I'm working on it as if now. Read on, people! Oh, and Chapter 1 has been revamped too do please be sure to reread the redone chapter!**

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The night rolled on as the party was stil active, but around one in the morning, the Tsukumo's had returned home. Yuma and Ryoga were still awake, including Rio. Whenever Rio came over to her brothers' house and she was too tired to drive home, they'd let her stay the night.

Yuma, Ryoga, and Shark sat on the sofa in the living room watching a movie playing on TV. It wasn't that interesting, but okay just for the laughs. They weren't really paying much attention to the TV anyway.

Now that it was just the three of them and no one else around to interfere, Rio suddenly grabbed the remote and turned the TV off in one click.

"Hey! I was watching that!" complained Yuma.

"What was that?" Rio flashed her famous death glare, her eyes shining red ((the one from episode 91)). Seeing the young woman's eyes turn red was more than enough to shut Yuma up because he remembered what happened the last time someone pissed off his sister-in-law. Not wanting to suffer the consequences, hebacked up in retreat. "Never mind."

Ryoga could tell by his sister's expression that she was hiding something, so he asked, "Is something on your mind? You were never that good at hiding it."

Rio looked to the side, twiddling her thumbs. "Yes. We all need to talk," she said in a serious tone.

Yuma regained his composure from Rio's glare and sat back on the couch, focusing his attention on Rio. "What is there to talk about?" he said innocently.

"You guys don't need to hide it from me," said Rio. She crossed her arms. "Haru told me everything, every single detail. I know about the women who refused to be your surrogate mothers."

Yuma's expression quickly became downcast. His body language proved it. Rio observed his shoulders lowering along with his expression turning from curious to upset. "It... Umm... I really don't know how to say it..." he stuttered.

To Ryoga, he didn't like it when people mentioned his and Yuma's situation like this, especially when they talked about the surrogates. They had been under a lot of stress because of that. He stood up from the sofa, glaring at his sister. His teeth and hands were clenched with frustration.

"What are you getting at Rio?! This is my and Yuma's business! You didn't need to pry information from Haru about our situation! It's called minding your own business!"

"She told me because she was worried sick about you! What do you expect me to do? Just sit by and watch every woman you ask reject you?!" Rio retaliated.

"Guys, stop it!" cried Yuma.

"Stay out of this Yuma!" growled Ryoga. "This is between Rio and I!" He turned back to his sister.

"No, Shark! You don't need to fight with your sister about this!" Yuma clenched his partner's arms tighty, attempting to restrain him.

"Let me go Yuma!"

"You can't leave out your own sister! Like it or not, Rio's a part of our family too! Families don't keep secrets from each other! I don't like hiding from my family because all it proves is that I'm avoiding the problem! You shouldn't be shunning Rio! She doesn't have to talk. She could, I don't know, listen!"

Rio put on an concerned look to show she wasn't joking around. "Please, Ryoga. I need you to hear me out. I'm being serious," she pleaded.

"And just how could you understand what Yuma and I are going through?! Every single person we've spoken to rejected us because to them, we're just 'desperate homos'! You wouldn't know because you're straight! How do you explain that?! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" Ryoga snarled angrily.

"Yes, I admit I don't understand your problem, but that doesn't mean I can't be here for you! Seriously, could you stop being stubborn with me and tell me what's going on? Please! I want to know because I want to understand your feelings!"

_Understand my feelings?! Rio wants to do that? Since when would she care so much about an unusual couple like us, besides the fact we're family?_Ryoga looked at Yuma as if he wanted him to defend him. Instead, he saw Yuma's face that have a signal somewhat saying 'Tell her.' _Even Yuma's on Rio's side! I don't understand why she wants to know so much about us. She won't stop bugging us until she hears everything. I don't have much of a choice. If she wants to know, then I'll tell everything. I tell, then she'll stop pestering me... _

Ryoga took a deep breath, clenching his fist in an attempt to calm down. On the other hand, Rio prepared for an angry remark from her brother. Knowing him, prying secrets wasn't an easy thing to do and often set him off because he was a bit secretive. She closed her eyes, her body shaked in nervousness because she believed Ryoga would hit her. However, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Rio opened her eyes wide open to see her brother with his usual stoic look, sitting beside her. He didn't have any looks of anger or intent to harm and was calm.

To the side, Yuma was quite relieved. He remembered that Ryoga could get a little brash defending him and himself because not too many people were fine with their sexual preferences. For once, he felt happy that his partner didn't resort to violence towards his sister.

Ryoga closed his eyes for a brief second. He took one deep breath, then grasped Rio's hands, and maintained eye contact with her. "Rio," he began, "do you really want to know about what is really going on with us?"

"Yes, brother. Please, I want to be here for you, but I can't help if I can't understand what you're going through. All I wish for is to see you achieve your dream, not lose it." Rio squeezed her brother's hands tightly in response.

"Fine. I'll tell you everything. I'm done hiding secrets." Ryoga quickly looked at Yuma. The red-eyed man flashed a small smile as if it said, 'You're doing the right thing.'

Ryoga continued. "A few weeks ago, Yuma and I were at the surrogacy center and our consultant had set up some interviews with possible candidates..."

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**Like I said, it's a bit short, but I'm finishing Chapter 3 ASAP because I don't really like to leave cliffhangers. I'm making an exception for this story. So then, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, chapter 3 is done! I know I had used "Ryoga" the past two chapters, but I'm switching to Shark because Ryoga is a bit of a pain to type after a while. I'll make that name change later. To be clear, this is a flashback story continued from last chapter Shark is telling Rio. There is a hidden quote that is a reference to a game. If anyone can guess it, you get a cookie! Credit goes to comicfan209 for this chapter's plot! I changed my pen name to galaxyeyes-nijikuriboh.**

* * *

-A few weeks back-

Yuma and shark walked down the street holding hands tightly. They stayed by each other's side together, looking out for each other. Their rings glistened in the luminous shine from the sun as it lit up Heartland City. Normally the couple would drive, but today was a rather marvelous day to be stuck in a car, so Yuma talked Shark into walking downtown. Shark felt at peace with his partner when they were together. Who knew that he, once a delinquent, would end up being married to someone like Yuma? Dueling brought them together, that's for sure.

As the men walked down the street, a woman passed by them along with a little boy. Yuma smiled at the family like he always did with some strangers. The family smiled back and waved with pleasure. The little boy, however, looked at Yuma and Shark with curiosity. He caught a glimpse at their matching wedding rings on their hands. The little boy stared at Shark's ring, then at Yuma's, and back at Shark's face.  
"Mommy, how come those grown-ups the same rings? Are they married? Can grown-up men get married to each other?"

Shark, Yuma, and the boy's mom should've been prepared to answer his questions, especially a six-year-old's. Neither one wasn't sure how to answer because how could they explain gay marriage to a kid? It wasn't a walk in the park for any of them.

"Satoru! That's not a polite question to ask," the boy's mom lightly scolded. She turned to Yuma and Shark and bowed in respect. "I am so sorry about my son. He always asks so many questions, but I didn't know he'd ask you something like that to make you uncomfortable!"

With that said, the woman grabbed her son's arm (not too tight) and just walked past Yuma and Shark as they moved forward down the street.

Yuma cocked his head in confusion. "What was that about?"

HEARTLAND SURROGACY CLINIC

"I believe that we have found some favorable candidates for surrogate mothers, Mr. Tsukumo and Kamishiro," acknowledged Ayaka Han, the couple's surrogacy consultant. She was a petite woman with jet black hair with hints of blue here and there and lime green eyes. Ayaka passed them a few manilla files containing information on the surrogate mothers. "I've arranged for them to come here today for interviews with you and me this time. Is that okay with you?"

Yuma and Shark were busy analyzing the surrogates' information, but they listened. Neither one of them explained to Ayaka they didn't mind interviewing, so she took that as a 'Yes'.

Ayaka tried to sit upright in her chair, yet her shoulders slouched with a hint of tension as Yuma and Shark continued to read about the surrogate mothers. Truth was, she was quite nervous about the interviews today. Still, Ayaka wasn't sure how these new batch of women she had selected would react to the idea of being a surrogate for a gay couple. Over time, she had grown friendly towards them. She tolerated LBGT people and didn't have any problems working around gay men. Heartland City was one of the few tolerant cities who tolerated anyone LBGT. The city had recently legalized gay marriage, so Yuma and Shark didn't hesitate on getting married. Despite their city known for its "love", there were still some people who discriminated against those kinds of people. Thinking about her clients being judged drove a wedge in her heart. Ayaka had no idea why some people wouldn't accept that not all humans would love the opposite gender.

_Maybe this will be it. I've already arranged a few interviews in the past for these men and those women I've called didn't even give them a chance! I hope the interview doesn't end in a meltdown like last time..._

_"I'm sorry... But I can't be a surrogate for you. I just can't." One woman said apologetically at Yuma and Shark. She bowed her head in shame, running her fingers through her hair. "It's just that I can't be having a baby for sinners. I'm sorry, but I can't accept that..."_

_Yuma didn't take the woman's response too well because he abruptly rose from his chair and grabbed her by her shirt collar. He normally didn't let any rage get to him, but this woman set him off. What would she know about us?! Just because we're gay doesn't mean we don't know what love is! She's just another homophobic!_

_"Let me go!" cried the woman, trying to pry herself from Yuma's restraining arms._

_Shark tried to stop his partner, pulling on the man's arms. Yes, he too was not happy with being labeled as a 'sinner'. Still, he didn't want Yuma to harm someone. "Yuma, stop it!" he yelled. "Just let go of her!"_

_Yuma ignored Shark and the woman. He pulled her close to his face. He was completely pissed off because you could tell by his eyes and his face. The poor woman shook in fear. She had no idea that something like this would happen to her. "I'm sorry.. Don't hit me!" she whimpered._

_While Yuma really wanted to slug the woman for being a homophobic, he didn't want his anger to take over. He could either, A: Beat up this woman and go to prison, or B: Let her go and just forget about her. Realizing he really didn't have much of a choice, he unleashed his tough grasp on the woman. "Get out of my sight," he growled, not even looking at her._

_Outside the conference room, Ayaka patiently waited at a table for the outcome of the interview. The doorknob then jiggled rapidly. She couldn't see what was going on because there was no plexiglass inserted into the wall so there could be privacy in the room. But she did hear a lot of clattering. Ayaka was just about to get up from her seat to settle the ruckus before the door burst open. It was the same woman she had brought in to be interviewed by her clients._

_"What is going on?!" Ayaka tried to help the woman up from the floor, only to have her hand slapped away. The surrogate looked directly into the young woman's eyes in fear. She was still trembling because her suddenly pale skin gave it away. "You lied to me... You didn't tell me I would be surrogating for a same sex couple. I can't do this. I'm done," the woman hoarsely whispered._

_After getting off of the floor, she staggered to the doorway before glaring back at the consultant in pure hatred._

_-Flashback over-_

Later, Ayaka had gotten word that the surrogate had arrived into the building, so she guided herself, Yuma, and Shark into a private conference room. After getting settled and comfortable, the woman stepped out of the room to give the couple some time to themselves.

Once it was just the men alone, Yuma immediately squeezed Shark's hands against his own. Shark's hands emitted a warmth which Yuma found comforting, due to the fact that he was not letting go of them. Having been together with Yuma for so long, Shark knew whenever his partner held his hand like that, it came to him that something was wrong with Yuma. When he and Yuma started dating in middle school, Yuma used to do the hand thing all the time. Shark didn't like being touched ((A/N: No, not in an inappropriate fashion)) that much then. As their relationship progressed, he began to shrug off Yuma touching his hand.

"Yuma, are you nervous about this woman?" Shark broke the silence, his fingers brushing over Yuma's clingy hand.

It was no use lying to Shark. "Yeah... You could say that. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable about this interview. What if she'll be another woman who rejects is like the others? I'm starting to wonder if we're making the right into finding a surrogate, because we haven't found a single one who wants to be a surrogate for us."

"Come on, don't you start saying that kind of crap around me. Where's the Yuma I know who keeps trying to move on with Kattobingu? Look at me," Shark beckoned, pulling Yuma's hands closer to his. He almost got lost gazing into Yuma's ruby red eyes. The way his red eyes conveyed emotion got to him despite everyone believing he had a cold heart. Not anymore. Just being near Yuma warmed him up. "I don't know if today will be the day for us, but I do know is that we have another chance at finding a surrogate. It's not like for you to feel like giving up!"

Yuma was still a bit unsure about the day's events. His mind refused to shake off the uneasy feeling. While Shark's words tried to process into his head, he still wasn't so positive about the interview, considering some candidates from the past. "You know, my dad once told me, 'If you believe something is impossible, then it will impossible...'* You're right, Shark. We can't just give up on our search! I just know that we'll find someone and... We can finally become parents."

*((A/N: Try to guess this quote reference! The winner gets a cookie! The answer will be revealed next chapter.))

Suddenly, the door opened. Ayaka peered her head through the doorway. "Am I bothering you two?" she asked with respect, wanting to respect her clients' privacy.

"Oh umm... No, no. It's fine. Is something up?" said Yuma.

"Actually yes, the potential surrogate is outside the room. I'll let you two get settled and bring her in. I'll be with you this time, so you don't have to worry about anything!"

It didn't take long for the whole interview to start. Ayaka brought in a young woman in her mid-30's, a bit taller than her, and with features that screamed 'gorgeous'. To Yuma and Shark, she appeared to be friendly because she didn't flinch at the sight of them. At the table, on one side, the woman smiled enthusiastically at the men.

"Hello! Are you two the ones I'm meeting with? I'm Renee, it's good to meet you," introduced the young woman. She extended her hand hoping for the men to accept her. Yuma and Shark complied by shaking hands back. They seemed a bit suspicious because none of the other surrogates ever made physical contact with them. None the less, they shrugged it off.

Outside, Ayaka maintained a positive attitude (she had stepped out to give them privacy). _Everything seemed to go according to plan. I think this could be the one who will finally help Yuma and Ryoga become parents. I've really come a long way with these two. I feel proud to be working with them._

Back to the interview, Yuma and Shark asked simple questions to Renee, like her background and what not. Ayaka continued to monitor the process outside in case of a breakdown. The question and answer exchange went on for a while, until it was the woman's turn to do the asking.

"So," began the woman, "have your wives unable to get pregnant? I can't help but feel sorry for them. It breaks my heart to see a couple not be able to have a child of their own. You could say I've chosen to be a surrogate because I want to help them raise their own family."

Yuma raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about? We don't have wives."

"You're both single?"

"No... Shark and I are married, to each other," he said slowly, trying to get his and Shark's sexual preference across this woman. To prove his point, he even flashed his and Shark's matching wedding rings. Shark felt his hand suddenly pulled at. "Hey!" he shouted, not too loudly.

Yuma showed the woman his and Shark's rings. They shimmered underneath the room' slighting, it nearly blinded her just looking at it.

"Wait... YOU'RE NOT STRAIGHT?! YOU'RE GAY!" she screeched in realization.

Ayaka felt her hopes lower. _Oh no..._

Yuma seriously felt scared about the woman. He quickly grabbed Shark's hand for comfort and squeezed it tightly. His mood went from happy and dropped down to fear in mere seconds. His eyes started welling tears because this woman was being vulgar towards him and Shark. "Yeah? So what if we're gay? It's not like you would understand how much we love each other! Just because we're in a relationship doesn't mean you can't possibly know what our feelings are like! You can't just go around and treat us like tramps!" he shouted.

"Please," she scoffed. She crossed her arms in a disapproving way. "All gays like you ever do is poison children's minds that its okay to form a relationship with the same gender. It's not okay for them to start off their life by playing pretend as a same sex couple! It's not right! You are a disgrace to society!" She pointed her finger at Yuma and Shark menicingly. "Sometimes I wonder why this city even allowed gay marriage. It's such an unpure thought. Marriage should be between a man and a woman. Not with two men, women, bisexuals, or transgenders. Looking at you disgusts me. I almost let myself be a surrogate to a couple of disgusting people. It's better this way if gays didn't exist."

Listening to this insane woman ramble on and on was getting to Shark's nerves. Every word she said to him and Yuma boiled his blood. His rage was taking over, like when Shark Drake once possessed his body. "That's all you have to say to us? Let me tell you something. You. Are. Seriously. F**ked up in the head," Shark snarled, pushing his finger onto the woman's skin after every word he said.

"I'm the one who's messed up in the head? Hmph, typical for someone like you to say to a me. You should really think twice before you spit out insults."

In swift motion, the woman abruptly snagged Yuma by his shirt collar. She lifted him with ease and slammed him against the sturdy wall.

On the other side, Ayaka didn't hesitate to pull out her D-Gazer. She was very appalled that someone would get physically violent towards a client. She punched in a few numbers and a face popped up on the screen.

"Yes, Ms. Han? What's the problem?" said a man.

"You need to get you and the rest of security up here now! The woman I brought in is getting violent to one of my clients! Hurry, please! I don't think he can last in there!"

"Copy that. We'll be there pronto."

Ow..." moaned Yuma. His vision was hazy after his head hit the wall, so he couldn't see that well. All he could make out in his state were two shapes. A shorter person (the woman) had apparently pushed the taller one (Shark) over a chair and fell unconscious due to the person's head hitting the floor hard. Yuma couldn't tell which was which. He sensed one of them coming towards him. When the shape came close, he came to realization that this was not Shark. His eyes widened in fear as the woman got close to him. He tried to back away but she stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet!" She kicked Yuma's body like a sandbag, utilizing pressure in every attack. Yuma tried to withstand the attacks, but it was no use. Every time the woman hit him, the pressure increased. Yuma couldn't handle it any longer. He didn't care if he would be teased, his eyes started to drop tears.

"Stop it!" he cried, still trying to protect himself from the attacks. She ignored Yuma's pleas and the attacks kept on coming. "Stop being such a whiner. Just hearing you cry makes me sick. When I'm through with you, your disgusting boyfriend is next."

"What did you say?!"

The woman didn't see it coming to her at all. A rough pair of hands grasped her by the neck (not too tight, it wouldn't kill her). She breathed out as she tried to pry the hands off of her. She opened her eyes to see an infuriated Shark. The shark Duelist restrained the woman from moving any of her limbs, pushing her against the wall. Shark took one look at a battered Yuma, then back to the woman. He leaned in face-to-face, and he whispered harshly, "You touch Yuma like that ever again, I'll break your neck."

Before the woman could try to come back with a remark, the door burst open unexpectedly. A swarm of security officers filled the room in mere seconds. The guards separated a belligerent Shark from the hasty surrogate, only for her to resist.

The woman crossed her arms. "What are you doing?! Get your hands off of me! Those pitiful excuses for gays hit me first! I demand you let me go!"

The guards ignored her pointless rambling and hoisted her away before they could hand her to the police. When they emerged from the room, the woman glared intensely at Ayaka, who was crossing her arms in dissapointment.

"You're making a big mistake! You're letting those homos go free and I'm the bad guy?!"

Ayaka didn't even look at her. She turned to the lead uniformed guard. "Take Ms. Renee down to the police station. I don't want her entering the premises anymore. She is banned from this clinic and other surrogacy clinics around the country."

"You heard the lady. Get this one over to the police," ordered the lead guard.

After security left with the violent surrogate, Ayaka didn't hesitate to dash into the conference room to check on her clients. That was her main concern. When she entered, she was devastated by how serious they were inflicted. The room was trashed, had holes in the walls (from Yuma being thrown into it), and furniture was all over the place. She couldn't get the memory of a broken Yuma curled into a ball in Shark's arms out of her head. That was one thing she would never forget.

Shark held Yuma in his arms, not letting go of him. Yuma sobbed endlessly from the abuse he had to suffer from. "Shark... It hurts..." he said hoarsely.

"I know..." Shark soothed (which was a rare trait of him). "She's gone. I'm not going to let her come after you."

"Don't leave me... I don't want to be alone!"

"I'm not going anywhere Yuma."

Ayaka slowly approached the couple. She knelt down and bowed in respect. "I am very sorry. I had no idea that she would act like this, I swear. This is my fault I let her in..." she apologized.

Shark couldn't blame the consultant. So he spoke for himself and Yuma. "You don't need to feel sorry for yourself and us. You didn't know she was like that. Could... You just let us be for a while?"

She silently nodded and without a word, she got up and left. The room was left empty with just Yuma and Shark. It was only them and no one else. No one could come in, or separate them. The only thing that broke the silence was Yuma's tears of agony. He didn't know, but Shark was silently weeping as well. What had they done to be treated like this?

-Present Time-

Rio was too appalled to say anything. She looked at her brothers with her eyes brimming with tears. Listening to their story broke her heart in many places, particularly where it hurt ((A/N: Not literally, like if she had a heart disease.)) She understood the situation (not like she could, as if she was in the same idea as them) based on stories they had told her from the past. Rio was one of the first people Yuma and Shark came out to. She didn't say anything negative to them and had since then supported their relationship from the get-go. She carefully spoke using the right words to avoid setting her brothers off.

"Did that person seriously hurt you, Yuma?"

Yuma silently nodded and lifted up his night shirt. All over his skin were bruises of different colors and sizes. Most of the injuries were disappearing, yet they still lingered on his delicate skin. Rio nearly gasped at the sight of Yuma's bruises. She had no idea that their search for a surrogate became this intense to the point where violence became involved.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this? You didn't tell me about this interview before you told everyone you were wanting to start a family," said Rio.

"We didn't tell anyone because we don't want any sympathy. Neither one of our friends would understand what kind of situation we're in! Let's face it. They're straight, we're not," sighed Shark.

Yuma pulled down his shirt. "We're not giving up searching for someone to be our surrogate," he said in a serious tone. "Can you promise us not tell anyone about this? I don't want everyone to worry about us. We're already under too much stress."

While Rio felt like she had to tell someone, she wasn't up for breaking promises. You could say she was in a little dilemma whether to tell or not. She really didn't want to risk having then find out she spilled the beans, so she made her mind. "I won't say a word to anybody. You can trust me," she swore. "Don't give in and throw the towel. I know you'll find someone to be a surrogate. It's never too late for you start a family."

Shark sat himself next to Rio. He slowly snaked his arm around her sides, pulling her close to him. "Thanks for being here."

"Hey, what are siblings for? Don't forget I'm not leaving you."

* * *

Later that evening, after Yuma and Shark retired to bed, Rio was still awake. She had carefully sneaked out of the house and was now out in the backyard so she wouldn't draw any attention. Once Rio checked her surroundings to make sure Yuma or Shark weren't around, she made a call on her D-Gazer. She waited for her caller to pick up, and with success, someone answered.

"Rio? What's going on?" answered a female voice.

"I need you to do something for me. Before I say anything, you can't tell anybody, especially Ryoga! Do you get what I'm saying?

"I don't know if I can do what you want me to do... But there's no guarantee it'll work. I can't just mess around with the system and just place you in it. Chances are my superiors will find out and I'll have to take the fall."

"I don't care! Just do what you have to do! Please, this is really important!" pleaded Rio. "I'm doing this for Ryoga. Nobody else. Can't you see that?"

The woman sigh on the other end. She put her hand to the side of her head in exhaustion. "I'll try and see what I can do. If anything comes up, I'll tell you. Just try to keep this between us until I say it's okay to talk about it."

"Thank you. I truly mean it," said Rio gratefully.

"Like you, I'm doing this for your brother. Don't get your hopes up if you're not accepted. I have to go to work in the morning, so can we talk about this later?"

"Yes, it's fine with me. I'll be leaving my brother's house in a while."

"Alright, goodbye Rio."

Her caller hung up, leaving Rio's D-Gazer to shut down its phone function and shifted back to its regular programming. Rio slid her D-Gazer back into her pocket, checking her surroundings again for any eavesdroppers. When she realized it was just her in the back, she gazed deep into the sky at the peak of dawn. A smile spread on her face as she observed the starry sky began to turn a light shade of a red-pink mixture. She couldn't wait for the events up ahead.

* * *

**Finally done! I'm not kidding, this chapter literally took a couple weeks to write! I had to do this and that just to get this one chapter perfect! Another thing, I've decided to extend the story's poll closing date to the end of the month. So, if you haven't voted, now's your chance! I'll see you all later!**


	4. Chapter 4

**galaxyeyes-nijikuriboh: So, here's the answer to the last chapters quote! It was from Final Fantasy Ring of Fates. If you didn't get the answer, this is the right one. There's still time to vote for the poll until the end of the month! Besides all of that stuff, this chapter is going to be pure fluff. You can't have a love story without fluff! Things will get even better next chapter ;)**

* * *

The sun's rays beamed through the closed drapes in the bedroom. The day was just beginning. The light illuminated most of the room, though some places were still dark. Up in the bed, Shark was still sound asleep. He had his right arm hang over the right side of the bed (his side of the bed was the right, Yuma slept on the left). The duvet was sprawled all over the bed, the sheets wrinkled in a pile. Shark was still sound asleep and could do this for hours, or so he thought.

On a lamp table on the left side of the bed, a clock shaped like Rainbow Kuriboh (it was a birthday gift to Yuma from Kotori, she gave Shark a custom-made Shark Drake clock) sat by a lamp. On its stomach, there was a digital clock. Right when the digital numbers flashed to 10 AM, the Rainbow Kuriboh clock emitted a sound like a barking seal. "Kuri, Kuri, kuri! Kuri, kuri, kuri!" It blared loudly like a typical annoying alarm clock's alarm.

Shark was starting to be irritated by the annoying sounds his husband's Rainbow Kuriboh clock was making. He really wanted to smash it to shut up the alarm. But, he couldn't stand to see Yuma get upset because the clock reminded him of the same monster who was a part of his dad's deck. Instead, Shark reached over Yuma's body while he pressed a button on Rainbow Kuriboh's horn to turn of the "Kuri" sound (listening to "Kuri" like six times nearly drove Shark crazy because it got easily annoying, but Yuma liked the sound because he thought it was cute).

With the noisy Kuriboh clock taken care of, the alarm didn't help Shark wake up one bit. He was still a tad sleepy based on the fact that his eyes were fluttering constantly. That and the sun's harsh rays nearly blinded his vision. "What time is it...?" He groggily moaned, too tired to move out of bed.

Suddenly, a whiff in the air caught his attention. Shark's nose took one huge sniff of the new scent. Curious, he sat upright in bed and continued to smell to figure out the smell. From what Shark could tell, it smelled like cinnamon with a dash of other spices he couldn't name. He would normally get out of bed to check on Yuma, but he was just too tired to move. Giving in to his tiredness, he eyes fluttered back to sleep, until something snapped him out of his trance.

_Do you remember the 21st night of September?  
Love was changing the mind of pretenders  
While chasing the clouds away_

"What?..." The words didn't get to Shark quite yet for his mind was foggy.

_Our hearts were ringing  
In the key that our souls were singing  
As we danced in the night  
Remember, how the stars stole the night away, yeah yeah yeah_

Shark slowly processed the words the more the song progressed. The lyrics became more familiar to him. Something about that song was rather important to him but he couldn't put a finger on it. Just as about Shark was about to not figure it out, something interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey hey hey. Ba de ya, say do you remember? Ba de ya, dancing in September? Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day," chimed in a familiar singing voice.

In the nick of time, Yuma entered into his and Shark's bedroom carrying a tray in his arms and his D-Gazer, which was blaring the music. Shark nearly dropped his mouth at the sight of Yuma. Yuma had never given him a wake up call like this. It was usually him who had to wake himself and Yuma up. Seeing the roles switch was kind of nice, though it seemed strange to him.

"My thoughts are with you. Holding hands with your heart to see you. Only blue talk and love. Remember, how we knew love was here to stay?" Yuma continued to sing, setting the tray full of food onto Shark's lap (he had secretly crossed his fingers behind his back in hopes Shark would catch onto the song).

In his lap, Shark stared at the food Yuma had prepped for him. It was nothing too fancy, rather simple. There were shark-shaped (the fish) dorayaki (Japanese red bean pancakes), sunshine yellow scrambled eggs, bacon, and some freshly squeezed juice. He took a good whiff of the food. It smelled pleasant and not burnt and crispy.

_What's with Yuma today? It was nice of him to make breakfast for me, but what is going on with him? thought Shark. And the singing? Why does that sound familiar- Son of a... Thinks I don't know music that well? Hmph, two can play at that game._

"Now December found the love that we shared in September? Only blue talk and love. Remember, the true love we shared today," Shark crooned in a voice so beautiful, listening to him it made Yuma nearly cry (Shark doesn't like too sing that much. He'll only sing on certain occasions).

"Shark..." Yuma whispered, his eyes filling with happy tears.

Closing his eyes, Shark outstretched his hand. Yuma accepted the hand eagerly and interlocked his fingers. He carefully slid onto the bed to avoid knocking off the tray in Shark's lap. Both men opened their eyes to each other. Neither said a word for they were lost gazing into each other's eyes, ruby red and deep sapphire blue. While they were so busy staring, Shark had already begun to put the whole act together. _Yuma actually remembered something important! He's usually an idiot at remembering things. Hmph, he's MY idiot. Who knew we'd end up together? I guess it was Dueling that brought us closer._

"I love you, Shark. Happy Anniversary," Yuma said in a loving tone. He planted a passionate kiss onto his husband's cheek. "You're the best partner. I'm glad I'm with you and no one else. You always make me feel good because I like it when we're together. I don't think I could live without you Shark. You're too important to me. I don't want you to ever leave me for someone else."

"Yuma," Shark started, "There's no way I'm even going to think about getting up and abandoning you. I told you not to get involved with me in middle school but you persisted anyway."

"I couldn't just stand by and watch you throw your life away. I didn't want you to give up," Yuma added.

"If you hadn't intervened and led me away from gangs, I seriously don't know how we would ever become friends and end up marrying each other. It's only been two years since we could finally be together forever, but I feel like we've come a long way since we first Dueled each other."

With that said, Shark pulled Yuma's face towards his. Yuma was used to him doing this, so he didn't pull his face away and let Shark continue. The two slowly connected their lips, activating passionate feelings inside of them (while doing so, they were careful not to knock over the breakfast Yuma prepared).

"Shark..."

"Yuma..."

Shark snaked his arm to Yuma's back while Yuma rubbed his partner's right shoulder. It wasn't long before they broke the kiss. Yuma sat upright over the covers, snuggling his head against Shark's broad shoulders. The two had indeed gone through ups and downs in their everlasting relationship from the very beginning up until now. Yuma thought about what had happened two years back, when he and Shark had finally gotten their wedding. It was like as if it was just moments ago...

* * *

**2 YEARS AGO... YUMA AND SHARK'S WEDDING DAY**

The gathering center around the base of Heartland Tower was flooded with crowds of people. It was a rather joyful day in Heartland City because it was the first homosexual marriage since it had been legalized months ago that year. The lucky couple who were to be married for eternity was none other than Yuma and Shark. From the crowd of their family and friends, they (even the Barians -except Vector, he had been exiled by the Astral World after the Intergalactic War ended- and Astral, Ena, and Eliphas) watched on the ceremony go on as both men stood in front of the officiant, who was reading from a book filled with vows.

"Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings. The wedding ring is a symbol of the vows taken here today….a circle of wholeness perfect in form," the officiant read, taking time to smile at the couple he was processing. He used one of his hands to use his fingers to make a circle to get his message across. He then continued, "The unending circle of a ring is a sign of fidelity, the pledged faithfulness of a couple to each other. These rings mark the beginning of an unending journey together filled with wonder and surprises, laughter and tears, celebration and joy. May these rings glow in the warmth and happiness of you both today."

Looking up from his book, the officiant signaled Orbital 7 to hand over the rings. To the side of Yuma and Shark, Orbital 7 eagerly held a velvet red pillow laced with golden threads on the corners. In the center of the soft pillow laid two shiny, gold rings. They shined like a newly restored piece of metal work. Orbital extended his appendages and pinched both rings in his metallic hand. He guided them to place each respective ring into Yuma and Shark's open palms.

"Congratulations Yuma and Shark! Kaito, Haruto, and Faker-sama extend their gratitude," whispered the robot. "So do I."

Neither men wanted to ruin the moment, so they smiled in appreciation, knowing Orbital would see it as a thank you. Now that they had the rings, it was almost time...

"There may be times filled with happiness, sorrow, tears or laughter, whatever it may be, remember love has given you wings; your journey begins today; Yuma and Ryoga, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, remember the love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make your marriage a glorious union, and it is by love that your marriage will endure. Will the grooms both place their rings and recite their vows?"

Yuma went first. He took one step towards Shark, his palm outstretched with a golden ring reflecting the bright sunlight. Before placing the ring on, Yuma took a moment to see the man he loved. The two wore matching grey tuxedos and wore their respective necklaces: Shark with his shark tooth locket (Yuma had given Shark a new shark-tooth locket one on of their dating days anniversaries) and Yuma with the Emperor's Key. Now that he was finished remincising, Yuma pinched Shark's ring with his fingers, and slowly slid the ring onto Shark's ring finger. Shark's ring had the same style as his old silver ring, just with a shinier paint job. Underneath it, Yuma had the ring engraved with a message. It read "_Ryoga Kamishiro: I love you. -Yuma."_

"Shark, ever since we dueled together, I realized how I felt for you. You used to be so aloof and cold to others. I know I had warmed up your heart to open to others, even me. From this day forth, I'll do the best I can to keep our relationship going. Before I finish, can you promise to make me rice balls everyday?"

The crowd chuckled at Yuma's last line in his vow. Shark took that as a sign of Yuma being Yuma, which he liked very much. Taking a deep breath, Shark smiled at his wedding band on his ring finger. He then placed Yuma's ring onto his outstretched ring finger. He too had Yuma's ring engraved with "I'm glad you got involved. Yuma Tsukumo, I'll be yours. -Shark."

"I told you not to get involved with me years ago, but I don't regret you ever doing so. You wouldn't leave me from the beginning before we had started dating," recited Shark. _"You saved my life Yuma. I'm... Grateful for that. I love you. That's going to stay that way forever."_

Now that the men were finished with their vows, the officiant closed his book. He cleared his throat, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Yuma and Ryoga, as you have consented together in lawful wedlock and thereto have pledged your faith to each other, and have declared the same by joining hands and giving and receiving of rings and exchanged your first gifts as a married couple and by the powers vested in me as a Justice of the Peace for the Commonwealth of Heartland City, I now pronounce you are now married! If you wish to seal this marriage with a kiss, you may now do so."

No man hesitated to do that special request. It was what they wanted to do from the start of their relationship: A true first kiss.

Yuma and Shark gently pulled each other, their lips coming in contact. They kissed passionately, since both men had their arms around each other. Neither one said a word. No one had to say anything for a moment like this. It was truly a romantic experience.

From the crowd, everyone cheered wildly and applauded with enthusiasm. It had been official: Yuma and Shark tied the knot, and it was one of the first official, legalized gay marriages in Heartland.

* * *

**PRESENT TIME, EVENING**

"Shark! Shark! Wake up!"

From under the covers, Shark tiredly pushed aside the douvet to see his ecstatic husband. At this time of night, he was like a nocturnal animal. "Yuma... Do you know what time it is? I'm trying to sleep..." he said in a slight annoyed tone.

Yuma ignored a sleepy Shark's grumpiness. "You don't understand! I need to tell you something and its super important!" Taking his D-Gazer out of his pants pocket, he turned it on and quickly opened a program. His fingers rapidly scrolled all over the screen in search of the important thing. Finally, he found it. "Here!" He eagerly handed Shark his D-Gazer to look at. Shark accepted it, rubbing his eyes first.

With his vision now clear, he read what Yuma has wanted him to see. It was an email, but he continued to read.

_Dear Yuma and Ryoga: I have splendid news for the two of you! We finally found someone! It is my pleasure to tell you that a potential surrogate has volunteered to be your surrogate mother! We ran a background check on her and she is confirmed to be 100 percent tolerant of homosexuals and clean. Please come to my office tomorrow morning to meet her! I cannot wait to introduce you to your surrogate! Best wishes, Ayaka Han_

"Do you see Shark?... We finally get to be parents... I can't believe this is happening..."

Shark set down Yuma's D-Gazer on the lamp table. He sighed heavily after reading the email from their consultant. This all seemed to good to be true. Then again, Ayaka never let them down. He thought of what their new family would be like, how he and Yuma would raise their child, and what life would be like with a new addition to the little family.

"I am looking forward to raising our child. All I care about is that we have someone we can trust. If this really is our chance to have a child, then I am looking forward to meeting this surrogate," concluded Shark.

With Yuma and Shark's second anniversary pretty much finished for the year, this was quite the bang to their anniversary. Things were definitely looking bright for their future. Where would it take them?

* * *

**galaxyeyes-nijikuriboh: What did I tell you? Pure fluff, with a surprise ending added! I had a lot of fun writing this one chapter because I wanted to get more into detail of Yuma and Shark's relationship. It's my OTP. My favorite part was Yuma's wedding vow XD The goofball still loves riceballs! So, yes, Yuma and Shark finally have a surrogate! She'll be coming up soon, though I'm sure some of you know who it might be... I'm not saying who it is until the next chapter! I know, I'm evil for doing that. For now, feel the flow!**


	5. Chapter 5

**GalaxyEyes: Great news! You will find out who the surrogate really is! You all have made great guesses, but you'll know for real! So, stay in your seats and stay tuned. Last chapter, I forgot to mention the song quotes used was "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire."**

**The poll for how many children Yuma and Shark should have has officially closed as of March 1! The votes are in and I've gone over the results. I can't say what the winning result is just yet. It's an important part of the story and it'd be crude of me to just spill the beans right away. Sorry readers, you'll have to wait until I tell you.**

**I don't own Yugioh, song references, and Flappy Bird.**

* * *

"Shaaaark! Can't you drive faster? I wanna meet the surrogate!"

"No, Yuma. I can't speed through the traffic and drive over people's cars!"

"Why didn't we take the train?"

"Because you said that 'trains are slow and take forever'! I tried to tell you we could get to the clinic faster by train, but you wouldn't listen to me! Since you wanted to go by car, you might as well just be patient and deal with the traffic!"

Yuma slouched in his seat in the car in defeat. He crossed his arms with a pouty look on his face. "Fine."

He didn't say anything for a bit due to him losing this debate. Shark would win the little arguments most of the time unless Yuma had a witty comeback. Still, he didn't want to be bored waiting for traffic to pass, so he then sat up and said, "Can I turn on the radio?"

"Why not? Just don't tune into anything with Country music." said Shark, not looking away from the front window.

"Awesome!" Yuma excitedly turned on the radio, punching in a station number on the monitor. After entering the number, he patiently waited for the station to tune in. Once it did, it just blasted whatever the station had. It was just the current pop music that was going around. Yuma silently listened the music on the radio, occasionally spacing out due to increasing boredom. He liked most of the music on the radio. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, the traffic was making him bored. He wanted to play Flappy Bird on his D-Gazer but he knew not to play it in front of Shark. Last time Shark got ahold of Flappy Bird... Let's just say it wasn't a happy day at the their house. So he had no choice other than to listen to the radio. Yuma listened for a while until he became bored of that too. Having nothing else to do, he turned his body sideways in his seat and went straight to sleep.

Shark took one quick peek away from the window to take a moment at a sleeping Yuma. The young man had slouched back into his seat. He was definitely out cold because Shark could hear him snoring loudly and his mouth was wide open. He was almost curled into a ball but couldn't do so because the seat belt restrained him. Essentially, he was sleeping like a five-year-old during nap time.

A sly smile formed on Shark's face. _Didn't know Duel Champions took midday naps. Can't blame him, he's been excited since last night that there was finally somebody out there willing to surrogate for us. I kept thinking someone wouldn't do it, but Yuma insisted there'd be hope. I had no idea that of all days, and on our anniversary, we'd get a call like that. I still can't believe this is happening! Yuma and I will be parents. Can we really raise children?_

* * *

**Heartland Surrogacy Clinic**

Ayaka had arrived in her office not long ago. After prepping her office and the conference room for her clients and the surrogate they were to interview today, she felt a sense of pride. She decided that today would be D-Day for Yuma and Shark because the surrogate she had spoken to much earlier that morning had confirmed she was tolerant regardless of sexual orientation and had no problem being a surrogate.

_It hasn't been a while since I met Yuma and Ryoga. I still remember when I first met the two. They are quite the pair. I've never had any clients like them. Not many couples or singles I've served weren't that nice to me. Most of them blamed me for not 'giving them the right woman' to be a surrogate. On the other hand, those two were kind to me and treated me like a professional. _Ayaka realized she was in memory lane because she had been staring off into space. She shook her head to clear the unnecessary thoughts out of her head.

_Okay, take a deep breath, she thought to herself. She inhaled and exhaled every breath slowly. Breathing he_lped her calm down before interviews. Not only did it soothe her, she would become less nervous. That would not be good for her clients to see her out of character, professional wise. "You are going to get in there and get Yuma, Ryoga, and their surrogate together! I just know today will actually be it for them!"

Beep!

A popup screen of the clinic's receptionist projected above a built-in base on Ayaka's desk. "Ms. Han, your surrogate mother has arrived!" announced the receptionist in a (not forced) cheery tone.

"Tell her she can come up to my office. I'll be in here."

"Copy that."

The popup blipped and vanished, pixelating back into the base on the desk. With the surrogate now on the way, Ayaka could hardly wait. She sat herself down into her wheeled chair, positioning into a casual, calm pose. She outstretched her arms, clamped her hands together, and placed them on her desk. With her back straight and her head up, she pulled the chair with her feet up to the edge.

The door to her office sounded off three brief, hard taps.

_She's here!_

"Hello? Are you in there?" said a woman on the other side.

Ayaka regained her composure, calmly replying, "Yes! Please, come in!"

The door calmly swung open, and back when the new woman made her way into the office (since she has not had her identity revealed, think of her current appearance as if you were seeing someone on TV being introduced as a silhouette). She most definitely young and petite based on her figure. She was neither too tall nor too short. The young woman sat down in a chair, scooting herself in front of Ayaka. Before she got to business, she placed her purse aside.

"So... where do I sign?"

* * *

After almost half an hour, traffic finally cleared up. Shark didn't hesitate on getting to the clinic as fast as he could (kind of like he was in Grand Theft Auto V without the running-over-people part). He was now coming up towards a turn close to the clinic. Yuma was still asleep so he couldn't pester Shark about going the wrong way. Monitoring the light's color, Shark formed a scowl at the green light up ahead, checking for a potential red light. By the time Shark was getting close to the end of the turn lane, the light was still flashing a green left arrow.

Beat the light this time. _Yes! _Shark quickly shifted the wheel to the left. The car glided on the road as it's body swerved to follow the wheel's direction. There were no additional cars coming down the lane, so he was in the clear to keep on going. Just as he made the turn, the surrogacy clinic came into view up the road. Shark happened to turn to the right side of the road because the clinic happened to be on the same side as him. Flicking the turn signal up, he slowed down as he drifted into the right turn lane.

He should've been prepared to see a small crowd outside of the clinic. As he tried to look around for a spot to pull into, he saw the crowd were standing in various spots and held up signs. Security was doing their best to barricade the entrance from the savage crowd and attempted to calm them down. Since Shark had seen what was going on, he realized he and Yuma had come to the clinic at the wrong time.

* * *

Up in the building, Ayaka had witnessed the scene too. She pointed out Yuma and Shark's car in the parking lot, which was behind the circling group of protesters. Behind her, the surrogate noticed that Ayaka was tense and annoyed because she could tell by Ayaka's body language. Her body was rigid, her fingers were fidgeting, and she was practically nervously sweating.

"Excuse me, what's going on outside? You seem tense."

"I'm sorry," sighed Ayaka, turning away from the window. She then gestured out the window. "It's that there's this anti-gay protest group that always stands outside the clinic every week. They've been on our nerves since the city legalized LBGT surrogacy. No one in the group has stopped spreading rumors that we're corrupt for serving gays and lesbians by making the world a place filled with homosexuals."

"How are you going get your clients past the crowd? This doesn't look good."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered."

* * *

Back in the parking lot, a few security guards (courtesy of Ayaka) surrounded Yuma and Shark as they walked to the barricaded entrance of the clinic. The men couldn't be assaulted by the crowd because the guards were towering and burly. Even though they were surrounded, some of the crowd could see them.

One man pointed at Yuma and Shark angrily. "Get out of here faggots! You don't belong here! You may be Duel Champions, but I will not let my children have you gays as role models!" he shouted.

"Since when do queers like you get to raise children?! It's a disgrace to society! A man and a woman should be the only people fit to have children! You on the other hand, are unclean! Repent in hell, sinners!" joined in a woman.

Yuma's heart sank after hearing cruel words inflicted towards him and Shark. He was deeply saddened that these people were so harsh to them. Sadly, he had to endure countless remarks said to him. He could have said something back, but fighting wouldn't do anything to make the situation better.

"Just ignore them Yuma. They're not worth it," Shark muttered, not even giving eye contact to the protesters. To prove to Yuma he would be safe with him, he strengthened his grip around his hand and pulled him along. Though Yuma felt comfortable around Shark, the harsh words wouldn't leave his mind.

_When will everyone stop picking on us and all of the other gays? I don't know if that will happen..._

* * *

After security managed to escort Yuma and Shark past the crowd without any harm, the men were told to wait in a reception area until they were cleared to come in. One thing Yuma did not like was absolutely waiting. It wasn't that he was overly impatient, he didn't like having to wait for a very long time. He was too excited because he and Shark could possibly become fathers.

"You nervous?" asked Shark, putting down the motorcycle magazine he was reading.

"Why wouldn't I be? We're about to meet another surrogate, again," Yuma stressed, with great emphasis on 'surrogate'. Yes, Yuma was anxious about meeting another surrogate. Neither one denied that most of the women they had interviewed rejected them right away after they learned of their sexual preferences.

Shark scowled. "Yeah? This is about the surrogate again, isn't it? I thought you were ready to see someone who would actually surrogate for us."

"I know Ayaka told us she was clean, but I keep wondering if she's not really who she says she is. I trust Ayaka, I'm not too sure about the mother. I'm starting to wonder if she's pretending to be 'clean'," admitted Yuma. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in an upset fashion. "What are the chances of this woman really being our surrogate? I don't know if I believe it or not."

Shark wasn't impressed with how his partner spoke to him about the surrogate. He did understand why Yuma wasn't 100 percent sure of this woman because most of them were homophobes. However, Yuma wasn't going to get off easily with moping.

Leaning in closer to Yuma's seat, Shark pulled Yuma's face close to his, and said in a low whisper, "I don't want to hear you talking like everything isn't working out. This might actually be our chance to become parents! You can't say that its over, because this is not the end! You better not be saying you want to back out at wanting to be a father with me! Is that want you want?!"

"Do you seriously think that I'd want to miss out on having children of our own?" Yuma slowly trembled in his seat, not making any eye contact with Shark. "There's no way I'm going to cut off being a dad! I've waited for a long time with you! I wanted to be with you forever, but I feel like our life would be incomplete without children! Don't you see Shark?! I want to meet our surrogate as badly as you do, it's just- I don't know, I'm worried she might reject us again!" Feeling exhausted from giving a long speech, Yuma slouched into the chair's cushion. "Tell me, do you really believe that this really will be the day? The day when we can get some closure?"

"I can't guarantee it. I have no idea what she is going to be like or behave. All I know is that this just might be our chance. Don't worry Yuma, I'm not going anywhere, I'll be staying by your side the entire time." Shark held up his ring finger, his ring glimmering from the sunlight. "I swore on my ring to be your partner forever. I can't turn my back on this. Not now, not ever."

"Shark... How did I ever get to be with someone like you?"

"I told you not to get involved, but you did it anyway."

"Hey! I thought you said you were over me getting involved!"

At the receptionist desk set by the surrogacy consultants' offices, a woman had just gotten off of the phone. She scanned the waiting area for any patients. Sure enough, she spotted Yuma and Shark. "Excuse me," she called.

Yuma stared at the receptionist. "Did you call us?"

"Yes, I did. Miss Han is now available to see you and your partner. You can go on through the door and head to her office."

* * *

"Thank you for coming in. I'm sure you know why I wanted you to be here this morning?"

Across from her desk, Yuma and Shark just stared at her as if their consultant forgot why she called them.

"You said that you found a woman who would actually be our surrogate. Is this true?" Shark questioned.

Ayaka nodded. "I can confirm that. I spoke to the surrogate myself before you two arrived. I had told her that there would be great risks with the process, but she said she would be still willing to take the risks. Before I send you to see her, I ask you something about your baby."

"What's that?"

"Since you two are using a surrogate, you could do either: Use both of your 'yogurt' ((A/N: I don't want to change the story rating, so I'll have to "rename" some obviously inappropriate words to make it not become an M-rated story.)) and your surrogate will be inseminated with it. After the baby is born, there has to be a DNA test to determine which one is the biological father," explained Ayaka. Before Yuma and Shark could object, she continued to speak. "There is another option. One of you could simply give us your 'yogurt' and have it inseminated into the surrogate. That way, your baby will be biologically related to one of you. Does that make sense to you?"

Yuma nodded. "We had actually talked about that issue. This wasn't an easy decision, but we decided that I should be the biological father."

"I had thought about being the biological parent," admitted Shark, "but I thought that Yuma should have a chance because he was really passionate at being a dad." (In reality, they wasn't sure if their child wouldn't be so happy he or she is the son or daughter of a man who was actually supposed to be dead thousands of years ago. Yuma agreed without hurting Shark's feelings.)

"So, Ryoga, you are positive that Yuma will be the father? There's no going back once Yuma donates his seed," said Ayaka.

"I'm positive." Shark held onto Yuma's hand. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him entering my life."

The woman liked how Shark responded to why he would not be the father. She knew deep down that those two were absolutely meant for each other. They truly loved each other like any straight couple who shared their feelings. She clasped her hands together.

"Well then, are you two ready to have an interview with your surrogate mother? She's in one of the conference rooms adjacent to my office," said Ayaka, collecting paperwork into a large, plastic, sealed folder.

Yuma and Shark took one last look at each other before they could give an answer. They didn't have to say anything because it was time to go on and see the surrogate for themselves. To answer Ayaka's question, the men simply nodded.

"You may proceed to the room two doors down my office on the left side of the hall. There is another waiting room. You need to wait there for a moment before the surrogate is ready. I'll join up with you shortly and give you the OK to go on in," directed Ayaka, pointing outside in the hall where to go.

And so, Yuma and Shark went to the waiting room outside the conference area. They waited for a short period of time until Ayaka popped into the room.

"You two can go on in. She's waiting to see you."

* * *

The couple made their way into the private room. It was furnished like the other places they had interviewed other surrogates, except this one had a bigger table and wooden furniture. When they came in, there was someone already in a large wheeled chair (like the big office chairs) behind a desk. Yuma was curious as to if someone was sitting there, so he yelled quietly, "Is someone sitting there?"

The chair 'spoke' back to him, presumably a female voice. "Are you two Yuma Tsukumo and Ryoga Kamishiro?"

"Yes... We are... And you?..."

"Before I introduce myself... How about I ask the questions and you answer? From what I've been told, you usually interview the surrogate mother, no? That sounds uninteresting. What do you say to me doing the questioning?"

"I don't care, let's just do this so we know who you are. This shouldn't be too difficult," said Shark.

The woman in the chair chuckled. "All I want you to do is answer only one question. Don't even think of trying to lie because I will know if you're straying away from the truth. Is that clear? It should be straightforward and you should be able to answer."

"Whatever, just ask us already!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are an impatient one, aren't you? Oh well, I can't keep you two hanging on the edge forever. Anywho... I'll start the question." She took one deep breath before even speaking. Inhaling and exhaling to relieve her potential stress, she felt all of her nervousness wash away. "Better... Now, onto my question for you two..."

Yuma yawned, "Can you just say it?"

"Fine. Might as well. All I want to know from you is... Why do you want to have a biological child of your own instead of adopting one?"

No surrogate had ever asked Yuma or Shark that exact question. During past interviews, many of the women they had spoken to were either too afraid to speak, refused to be a surrogate, or walked out without giving them a chance all because they were homophobes. Those women never truly understood what Yuma and Shark were really like in person. Yet, they refused to mingle with them over their fear of gays. This question was a little difficult for the Duelists to decide on an answer that would satisfy the woman's needs. They sat silently in their seats as they tried to brainstorm a statement that came from the heart and mind. While doing so, the woman didn't say anything so she would not disrupt the thinking process.

Eventually, as time passed, she finally spoke up. "Have you two decided on your answer to my question? If so, I am interested in what you have to say."

Shark was the first to speak for himself. He rose from his seat in a proud manner, brushing off dust from his clothes. The woman still had the back of the chair facing him. To him, that was like as if she was hiding her identity on purpose unless he and Yuma could get her to reveal herself. Now, Shark needed to focus on answering the mysterious surrogate's question.

"Yuma and I have been together since middle school. Most of our friends and family didn't expect me to end up going out with a guy. We have been through a lot over the years. Before I met Yuma, my sister was admitted into the hospital and my life went downhill after that incident. I almost became involved in gangs, then this guy," Shark pointed his thumb towards Yuma, "shows up and he... He saved me from ruining my life. I tried to make him stay away but he didn't leave. We're married, and he still hasn't left me. I want to spend the rest of my life with Yuma! I want to raise our own kid with him. Why am I saying that? Because I know Yuma well. Most of us know he's nice to everyone but I believe he has a soft spot for children. He sees potential in them. If we had our own biological child, I know he and I would raise him or her like any parent."

"Shark... Do you really mean those things about me?" Yuma added, getting a bit teary-eyed.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I mean everything. You're my partner," said Shark.

Neither one could see it, the woman seemed satisfied with Shark's answer. A small smile spread across her face, indicating she approved of Shark. _He seems really serious about wanting to be a dad and to have a biological child. I can tell from his speech he will be a great dad to his and Yuma's child. _She coughed. "Excuse me, Yuma? I'm waiting for you to answer my question."

Yuma's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree in realization. "Oh, yeah! Why do I want to have a child of our own?..." he began. "If we were to adopt a child, it would be a thrill raising one. There is something I need to say about that. I don't feel much of a connection with an adopted child because he of she wouldn't have much of a close relationship with us. I want us to raise a biological child because I just know that it was made from our love. I can already imagine Shark and I spending time with our baby and watching him or her grow up. Yeah, I don't want our child to grow up too fast, I'd rather give up most of my free time to be with our kid."

The woman in the chair listened to Yuma's answer to her question. She didn't expect neither Yuma or Shark to give a response with so much passion. _I had no idea that these two are serious on their decision to become fathers. I can tell by how they preached their answer that they are perfect for me to be surrogate for them. They are going to be wonderful fathers. I suppose its time for me to stop hiding myself._

She spoke again, but in a calm tone. "I am very impressed with your responses. You my test passed with flying colors. That was all I wanted to hear from you two: How much you wanted to become fathers."

"I have one question to ask you," Shark said abruptly.

"Oh?"

"Who are you?"

The women smiled, crossed her legs, clenched her hands together, and set them on her lap. Turning her chair around, she was finally out of the shadows. No longer would her identity be a secret. The time for herself to be seen was now.

"You can stop guessing who your surrogate mother will be. She's right in front of you," she said, her face now recognizable.

Yuma immediately realized who their surrogate really was after it took one second to recognize her face. He nudged Shark's shoulder and whispered to him, "Is she who I think she is?!"

She smiled. "Hello Yuma, Ryoga. I thought you two had already figured it out. I guess not. It's me, Rio!"


End file.
